Post by Clouseau on Mar 23, 2007 21:45:54 GMT
after the Pink Panther car from the '60s TV show failed to sell in auction on eBay.co.uk, Cato is lending a hand:
www.hamhigh.co.uk/]
www.hamhigh.co.uk/
And now he's met the pink panther
23 March 2007
Guy Stevens
THE Pink Panther and surprise special guest were in town on Friday to say goodbye to an iconic piece of British film history.
Hampstead resident Burt Kwouk, who played manservant Cato to Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau in the classic 60s films, was at Hampstead Heath to launch the auction of the striking Pink Panther car.
Mr Kwouk posed for pictures in the famous car which was put up for sale on internet auction site eBay by Haverstock Hill shop Flogit4U.
The 24-foot long, six foot wide car was built by Jay Ohrberg who also created the open-top Batmobile and Knight Rider's KITT. It includes a TV set, telphone and lemonade dispenser.
And the actor, who has lived in West Hampstead for more than 40 years, gave an insight into what it was like to work with the legendary Sellers.
He said: "Peter was certainly unstructured and disorganised. I suppose when you get to the stage he was at, you can do pretty much as you like and we saw that on set.
"The kind of chemistry we had is hard to define. I think that's shown by the lasting popularity of the films. Comedy obviously depends on surprise and yet you get people who watch The Pink Panther over and over again, so the surprise isn't there any more. I think it means that a lot of the stuff we did together was intrinsically very funny."
Mr Kwouk starred in a host of shows including Last of the Summer Wine, but will always be associated with the Pink Panther films.
He added: "I'm totally surprised and bemused by the enormous impact my character had.
"It's become a lot more than just a job. It was a gigantic event in my life in a way that I never expected."
Mr Kwouk was born in Manchester but raised from the age of one in Shanghai.
He spent some years in America before arriving in West Hampstead and landing the acting role that would make his career.
He continued: "Originally I moved here because it was near where I had to work at the film studios in Elstree and Boreham Wood.
"I like the quietness of the place. It has a really villagey atmosphere which is nice.
"I consider myself to be from Shanghai. My career has been based in lots of places but that's my home city."
And even though movie-mad fans were willing to bid tens of thousands for the car, Mr Kwouk was not so keen.
"I wouldn't pay tuppence for it," he said. "There's no engine in it."
Bidding for the car reached £72,000 online but failed to meet the reserve price and negotiations were continuing as the Ham&High went to press.
23 March 2007
Guy Stevens
THE Pink Panther and surprise special guest were in town on Friday to say goodbye to an iconic piece of British film history.
Hampstead resident Burt Kwouk, who played manservant Cato to Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau in the classic 60s films, was at Hampstead Heath to launch the auction of the striking Pink Panther car.
Mr Kwouk posed for pictures in the famous car which was put up for sale on internet auction site eBay by Haverstock Hill shop Flogit4U.
The 24-foot long, six foot wide car was built by Jay Ohrberg who also created the open-top Batmobile and Knight Rider's KITT. It includes a TV set, telphone and lemonade dispenser.
And the actor, who has lived in West Hampstead for more than 40 years, gave an insight into what it was like to work with the legendary Sellers.
He said: "Peter was certainly unstructured and disorganised. I suppose when you get to the stage he was at, you can do pretty much as you like and we saw that on set.
"The kind of chemistry we had is hard to define. I think that's shown by the lasting popularity of the films. Comedy obviously depends on surprise and yet you get people who watch The Pink Panther over and over again, so the surprise isn't there any more. I think it means that a lot of the stuff we did together was intrinsically very funny."
Mr Kwouk starred in a host of shows including Last of the Summer Wine, but will always be associated with the Pink Panther films.
He added: "I'm totally surprised and bemused by the enormous impact my character had.
"It's become a lot more than just a job. It was a gigantic event in my life in a way that I never expected."
Mr Kwouk was born in Manchester but raised from the age of one in Shanghai.
He spent some years in America before arriving in West Hampstead and landing the acting role that would make his career.
He continued: "Originally I moved here because it was near where I had to work at the film studios in Elstree and Boreham Wood.
"I like the quietness of the place. It has a really villagey atmosphere which is nice.
"I consider myself to be from Shanghai. My career has been based in lots of places but that's my home city."
And even though movie-mad fans were willing to bid tens of thousands for the car, Mr Kwouk was not so keen.
"I wouldn't pay tuppence for it," he said. "There's no engine in it."
Bidding for the car reached £72,000 online but failed to meet the reserve price and negotiations were continuing as the Ham&High went to press.